122 



January 21. (Sunday.) 



The hospital has been crowded, since my arrival, 

 with patients who have nothing the matter with 

 them. On Wednesday there were about thirty 

 invalids, of whom only four were cases at all 

 serious ; the rest had " a lilly pain here, Massa," or 

 " a bad pain me know nowhere, Massa," and 

 evidently only came to the hospital in order to sit 

 idle, and chat away the time with their friends. 

 Four of them the doctor ordered into the field 

 peremptorily ; the next day there came into the 

 sick-house six others -> upon this I resolved to try 

 my own hand at curing them ; and I directed the 

 head-driver to announce, that the presents which 

 I had brought from England should be distributed 

 to-day, that the new-born children should be 

 christened, and that the negroes might take pos- 

 session of my house, and amuse themselves till 

 twelve at night. The effect of my prescription was 

 magical ; two thirds of the sick were hale and 

 hearty, at work in the field on Saturday morning, 

 and to-day not a soul remained in the hospital 

 except the* four serious cases. 



The christening took place about four o'clock. 

 Sully's infant, which had been destined to perform a 

 part on this occasion, had died in the hospital ; but 

 this morning the father came to complain of his 

 disappointment, and to beg leave to substitute a 

 child by another wife, which had been born about two 

 months before my arrival; and as the father is a very 



